


Out of the Woods

by noitsbeckyrosenwinchester, theblackshrimp



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Animal Abuse, Deastiel, Destiel - Freeform, Fluff, Happy Ending, Horrible Puns, M/M, Medieval AU, Minor Character Death, Sam Has a Dog, Secret Relationship, Smut, Swearing, cursing, don't lie to me you all know that the winchesters swear like sailors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:33:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4289118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noitsbeckyrosenwinchester/pseuds/noitsbeckyrosenwinchester, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackshrimp/pseuds/theblackshrimp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Prince Dean of Winchester meets Castiel, the Duke of their rival kingdom, Elysium, while on the hunt for a common enemy, they think nothing of each other. It’s only when they get lost in the woods together that they find more in each other than they ever imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for checking out this fic!! I hope you all like it!! ExCBadWolf and I have been doing a lot of research on the medieval times, but because this fic is fairy tale-esque, it's not going to be as accurate as we would like it to be.  
> Also, you all should totally check out fiendishfangirl's fic "The God Squad of Garrison High"!!! It's hella rad!!! It's gr8 m8 I r8 8/8!!!!!  
> Comments and feedback are always appreciated!!!  
> Additionally, our updating schedule will be weird, so we're very sorry if we can't update the fic quickly.

In the times of grand castles and gallant knights, there were two magnificent kingdoms: the noble land of Elysium and the sprawling forests of Winchester. Though these two nations had once been allies, a single man’s actions severed this tie.

It had come time for a new king to rule over Elysium. This title, of course, was to go to the eldest of the four princes, Prince Michael. However, the second born, Lucifer, thought this was his to take. Though Michael was older, and, in all honesty, the kinder of the two, Lucifer was well known for his excellent leadership and his remarkable abilities. He was more warlike than his brother and was praised for his innumerable victories on the battlefield. Lucifer had protected Elysium for years--as did Michael--but his skill with the scimitar was unrivaled and many a foe had met his fate against the edge of this blade. When the time for the crowning of a new king came around, there was constant chatter over who would take the throne. Many of the kingdom’s people did not know that Michael was older, and they wholeheartedly believed that the powerful, aggressive Lucifer would be crowned king.  

Lucifer thought this as well.

He was certain, despite being younger than Michael, that he would rule over Elysium. He knew that the people were well aware of his bloody successes, and, thanks to his _charming_ good looks and his silver tongue, he would be king by the end of the day. The rest of the royal family knew too well who would be king. They too talked amongst themselves, fearing what was to come. When they were younger, they had bickered and fought together over such frivolous things.

They knew how vicious Lucifer could be, should he not get what he desires.

On the day of the coronation, Michael was crowned King of Elysium. There was a moment during the ceremony--right as Michael was called forward--when Lucifer’s face was completely unreadable. All emotion was wiped away; however, Gabriel, the youngest of the four brothers, knew all too well of the storm that was brewing underneath. He recognized the telltale twitch under his brother’s right eye that indicated how livid he really was and what was to come shortly thereafter.

Lucifer stormed out of the ceremony in a jealous rage. A palace guard that stood at the door merely asked the prince if everything was alright, and in response Lucifer raised his scimitar from his side and in one, swift motion slit the man’s throat without even paying him a glance.

This death was the first of many.

He laid waste to the kingdom, ravaging homes and littering the land with fire and corpses.

“Lucifer, this has to stop!” Michael stood several feet away from his brother, sword in hand, ready to strike if needed.

Lucifer turned to Michael, pouting. “‘Oh, Brother dearest, this _has_ to stop!’” he mimicked. He had a wolfish grin on his face as he began to draw his scimitar. “Does it really? Who’s gonna stop me? _You?”_

Michael tensed, glaring at Lucifer. “If you seriously believe that I’ll allow you to continue kill--”

Lucifer snorted derisively. He pushed his sword into the earth and leaned on its hilt. “Oh, boohoo. You won’t _allow_ me? Am I suddenly your pet?"

Michael shook his head slightly. He raised his sword, holding it resolutely in one hand. Lucifer raised an eyebrow, watching the tip of Michael’s sword as if it were a tiny fly. He seemed almost predatory: he was unblinking, silently watching Michael, waiting for him to move.

“Trying to intimidate me, are you? Or are you just _nervous_? Ooh, can you imagine that? The _King_ of Elysium: nervous! The poor thing can’t bring himself to confront the man who _should_ be the king!” Lucifer’s tone had started out light and jokingly, but it grew dark and vehement as he spat out the word “king”. He violently tore his sword from the ground and pointed it at Michael. “Come on, Brother!” he howled, his eyes glinting with malice. “Let’s settle this right here! You’ve got your nice, shiny blade out, so how about you show me that you know how to wield it!”

Michael shook his head again. Sighing, he met Lucifer’s blazing eyes with his own, which were filled with pain and regret. There was a hint of  ire in them.

“I’m sorry that it should come to this, Lucifer…” Michael set his jaw grimly. Suddenly, the pain in his eyes was replaced by a flash of enmity, and Michael swung his sword.

Lucifer’s scimitar met the longsword with an echoing clang. The brothers glared at each other, swords locked together, glinting in the light of the fires blazing around them. Lucifer almost imperceptibly leaned forward, forcing his weight upon the slimmer blade. Michael, however, greeted this movement with a powerful upswing, shoving Lucifer backwards. Michael saw his opportunity to strike as his brother stumbled. Within a second Michael had pinned Lucifer’s sword to the ground, his foot crushing the younger brother’s wrist. He brought the longsword to Lucifer’s neck, pressing the wickedly sharp edge to his throat.

Michael’s entire face seemed emotionless. He frowned slightly as he watched Lucifer writhe beneath him. “I’m sorry, Brother.”

Lucifer grinned at Michael, his eyes flashing black. “No. You’re not. Goodbye, Michael. Tell the others I’ll miss them _dearly_.”

With that, Lucifer’s body seemed to twist grotesquely. Michael watched in horrified silence as a black snake replaced Lucifer, and it slithered away into the night.

Little did they know, Lucifer was gathering his followers and building an army, preparing for a war. He sent his most trusted, Abbadon, to Castle Winchester with a very special task.

She was the most infamous assassin in the kingdom, and for good reason. She was the most deadly, cunning, bloodthirsty woman in the entire province. In the dead of night, Abbadon snuck into the castle and into the chambers of King Henry and Queen Mildred, and expertly slit their throats in their sleep, taking pleasure in the blood spilling onto her hands.

All of Winchester was outraged at the news of their murders. Their son John became king, already with a queen at his side and two young sons of his own. These two boys were thrown into high ranking positions in the new search throughout both kingdoms for Lucifer.

With Winchester and Elysium working in close proximity of each other, animosity simmered beneath every interaction. Between some though, intentions were good and there was a very sincere attempt to make peace in order to defeat their common enemy.

One such pacifist was the very young Duke of Elysium, Castiel. He had no quarrel with Winchester, and above all felt sympathy for the family and their subjects. He saw no reason to fight with them, especially when his subjects were also in danger of the rogue prince.

Dean, the first born son of King John, was not one of these pacifists. He looked at the Elysians, and all he saw were the relatives of the monster that killed his grandparents. Dean felt the anger that his father carried with him, and clung to it, wanting to emulate him. After all, he was to be king himself one day, and felt it necessary to live up to his predecessor.

As different as these two boys were, it was surprising that they were the ones to smile at each other in passing. Speaking to each other- that would result in punishment. But for some reason, they found themselves simply drawn to each other. Their eyes would drift up to each other without even thinking about it at all, and sometimes they would meet and stay there for as long as time would allow, as if each was taking in as much of the other as he could.

After dragging on for four months, it reached a point where the entire hunt came to a standstill because of the bad blood between the nations. The mission was abandoned for the time being. Lucifer and his army seemed to be forgotten as time wore on, but they would return, and when they did, they would be remembered for centuries.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Chapter 2 might take a little longer, but your patience is greatly appreciated! Comments and feedback are loved!

The sun hung in the sky like a pendulum, bathing the peaceful village in harsh, bright light. Villagers moved about hurriedly, attempting to clear their simple pathways and make their town “fit” for the Hunter King and his strong, tall, and (noticeably) handsome sons.

King John lead the way on his horse, the Princes Dean and Sam following a considerable distance behind, closer to each other than to their father. Beads of sweat rolled down their bodies.

“Why is it so fucking hot out here?” Prince Sam complained, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

“Maybe if you’d cut that damn mane of yours, you wouldn’t be so hot all the time...” Dean muttered, glancing sideways at Sam. After making a comment like that, he knew Sam wouldn’t let him walk away unscathed.

“Would you two watch your mouths? We’re in public. We do have an image to uphold, you know.”

Dean and Sam grunted in response. They knew they had an “image,” but God knew they hated it. All the attention kept them from relaxing and being themselves. More than once Dean had attempted to make his own meal in the royal kitchen, but the cooks _insisted_ that he let them do the work. When King John had found out, Dean was given a “stern” lecturing.

 

_“I don’t know why you want to make your own food, Dean. We have people to do that for us.”_

_“Well, hell, Dad, it’s not like I want to know how to do a few things for myself! Besides, why do you have a problem with me cooking? It’s just cooking!”_

_“Does it occur to you that you’re a prince and not some_ commoner _, Dean?”_

_“What does being a prince have to do with making your own food?! Is it degrading to make yourself something to eat? Is there some law I’ve never heard of that claims that royalty can’t make their own food?”_

Everything went downhill from there.

 

Women and men of all of ages curtsied and bowed as the royal entourage, the king and his sons, passed by. The thunderous beat of hooves echoed throughout the town. While the guards looked weary--and downright miserable--Sam was thoroughly enjoying all the smiles and waves he received from the myriads of children, staring at Dean and him with a mix of awe, terror, and reverence. They seemed oblivious to their scolding mothers’ reminders to bow and stand respectfully in silence as the ruling family strode by.

“Mummy, look how big he is!”

“Shush, dear! Don’t say that!”

Sam’s smile grew as he watched a small boy’s mother try to quietly apologize for his comments. He waved to them, and the mother smiled at him. The boy hopped from foot to foot, whispering more excited observations to his mother.

“Having fun over there, Sammy?”

Sam turned to give Dean a withering look. “Could you not call me that when we’re in, oh, I don’t know, _public_?”

Dean looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. “I can’t make any promises. You’re still my little brother Sammy!”

“I’m taller than you are.”

Dean puffed his chest out, attempting to make himself look taller. He strained to sit up completely straight and jutted his chin out. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Sam was laughing.

“Sorry, Dean, I’m afraid that I’m still ta--”

“No,” Dean hissed through his teeth, struggling to maintain his position. “Look… I’m… see, I’m… taller…”

“Dean!” John barked.

Dean immediately fell back into his original position.

“Can you stop acting like a child and start acting like the _prince_ you _are_?”

Dean grunted in response, lowering his head as his father turned away. The second John’s back was completely facing him, Dean raised his middle finger, and Sam snickered.

As the group passed by, more people seemed to appear along the sides of the path. It warmed Sam’s heart to see so many people smiling at him. He didn’t quite like how worried they seemed as they attempted to bow and curtsy as gracefully as they could. The people kept their eyes averted from the king, looking down as he passed.

“Hey,” Sam nudged Dean and leaned in close to him. “I don’t know if I just never noticed this before, but why are we the only ones that the people are looking at? Looks like they’re afraid to look at Dad…”

Dean shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. “Well…” he began quietly, “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but, uh, I’m pretty sure they’re all worried that Dad will freak out on them.”

“Why would they think that?”

“Well, y’know… He was, um, really, _really_ upset when our grandparents were… killed… he… was _furious_. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him _that_ angry before. Uh, some of the servants happened to be in his way while he was like this, and I guess word got out that the King of Winchester wasn’t as gentle and kind as he seemed…”

Sam shuddered. It was sad, honestly, that their father had acted in such a way. “Well,” Sam sighed, “Death can do that to a person.”

“That’s true; however, you can’t condone something like that…”

The brothers gave each other a look before realizing that they had fallen slightly behind. They gently urged their mounts forward.

A noise behind them caused them to freeze. One guard had brought his horse away from the royal family and was apparently dealing with some kind of disturbance. He looked rather uncomfortable as one of the villagers blocked his way.

“You can’t hurt it! It hasn’t done anything to you!” the villager cried, arms spread wide, trying to effectively hold back the guard.

“Well, it’s been following us for quite a while, and that’s quite unnerving. I believe it might be tracking us, and I can’t take any risks at this point in time.”

Sam was about to call the knight over, but a flash of grey distracted him. The dog trotting alongside the path could easily be mistaken as a small horse. Its thin body looked awkward on its spindly legs, and its wide head and floppy ears gave it a comical look. It paused when it noticed that the procession of horses and royalty had stopped.

Sam gasped gently. “Dean!”

Dean had seen the massive dog. It was hard to miss. He groaned, knowing what Sam was about to say. “No, Sam--”

“Dean, look at that dog. He’s adorable! I wonder how long he’s been following us? Did you hear that guard?”

“Yeah, I did, Sam--”

“Maybe he’s friendly!”

“Sam, no--”

“Please, Dean…” Sam turned to his brother, eyes wide, his bottom lip trembling. “I’ll never let him out of my sight! I’ll take care of him! Please, Dean, I’ll train him day and night and he’ll--”

“All right, all right already! You can keep him!” Dean laughed as he pushed Sam away from him. “You gotta ask Dad, though.”

John looked over shoulder at his sons. After hearing the commotion, he too had stopped to see what was going on. He watched the dog warily, waving the guard over.

“Has it really been following us?” He asked as the guard came forward.

“Well, Your Majesty, I thought I saw it following us since--”

“ _Has_ it been following us?” John growled, narrowing his eyes. “I need a definite answer.”

The guard shook his head hurriedly. “I may have been imagining, Your Majesty…”

John waved a hand, dismissing the guard. He turned his gaze to Sam and Dean, who were looking at him. Dean’s face was unreadable, while it was pretty obvious what Sam wanted. John could see the determination in Sam’s eyes.

“That’s a _big_ dog, Sam. You think he’s worth your time?”

Sam nodded, a small smile creeping across his face.

“Hm. It doesn’t look very healthy… In fact, it looks like it’s just skin and bones. Are you sure about this, Sam?”

Sam nodded more vigorously this time.

John sighed. “I guess I can allow it--”

The noise Sam made sounded inhuman. It was a mix between a shriek, a gasp, and a peal of laughter. The noise startled Dean so much that he nearly fell off his horse.

Sam stepped down from his horse--the horse itself wasn’t too much taller than he, and not many people were able to dismount a horse like he could--and approached the dog. It was standing behind a few villagers, sniffing them. He gently walked up to it, holding out his hands so the dog could sniff them.

While this was all happening, Dean was sitting hunched on his horse, head in his hands. He couldn’t believe that Sam was actually _taming_ a stray dog. He ran a hand down his face in exasperation. Now _he_ was going to have to deal with a dog running around the castle halls. God knew Dean was going to be subject to who knows how many early-morning walks and wake-up calls at three in the morning thanks to this dog deciding that Dean’s face must taste nice.

The villagers smiled at this, enjoying the look of pure elation on Sam’s face when the dog came up to him. Some of them grinned at each other, and others whispered amongst themselves, discussing the addition of a dog to the royal family. Dean slumped forward, avoiding the grossly-adorable scene. “Sam?” he groaned.

“Yeah?”

“Are you… are you going to name it?”

Sam’s smile seemed to grow even larger. “Yeah!” He looked down at the thin animal sitting in front of him. So far, it seemed obedient. It watched him with big, doleful eyes.

A sudden thought occurred to Sam. What had his dad said earlier? The dog was just skin and…

“I know what I’ll call him!” Sam cheered, looking at Dean. “Bones!” he declared, rubbing the top of the dog’s head affectionately. “Yeah, hey Bones! What’s up, buddy?”

He talked to the gentle giant, petting him all over and grinning from ear to ear. Dean sighed heavily, trying to push back his feelings of  glee. He didn’t want Sam to know that he thought the dog was completely and utterly adorable, and Sam’s reactions to the damned thing were more so. Dean couldn’t let a single animal shatter his image of pure strength and masculinity. So, he simply rolled his eyes and moved along the path throughout the village.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the massive delay guys! We authors were both away from decent wi-fi for the LONGEST time, but hopefully this extra long chapter will make up for all that! Since school is beginning very soon, the chapters might be few and far between, but... we'll try our hardest to get chapters up as fast as we can! Please leave us your comments and feedback!! We love you all!!

All was well in Elysium.

There was a slight breeze, but otherwise, everything was absolutely perfect. Inside the Palace Elysium, servants dashed about, doing their best to keep the grand hallways clean and the magnificent, stained-glass windows spotless. Higher-ranking individuals called out to one another, pushing servants out of their ways as they too ran through the massive palace. The palace itself was not only the personal headquarters of the royal family: it was also the center of armed operations for the entirety of Elysium’s lands.

Guards stood alert at every door; they patrolled each individual hallway, no matter how small; some guards positioned themselves at the feet of staircases; no room was left unguarded. After “the incident”, security had been the nation’s priority. No guest or messenger to the nation was left unaccompanied by two (or, in the cases of more questionable visitors, three or four) guards. Elysium was still recovering from Lucifer’s early attacks, and no chances were to be taken. All of the royal siblings were taught how to use daggers. Each sibling knew how to wield their own personal dagger, as well as some kind of sword. The family was raised around weapons and war.

However, war was the last thing on Prince Gabriel’s mind as he lounged in the palace gardens. He was enjoying the sun while it lasted: the warmer months were coming to an end, and he wanted to spend as much time outside as he could before the unforgiving snows and storms kept him trapped within the palace. The next few months would grow colder and colder, much to Gabriel’s dismay: he didn’t like the cold very much.

Yawning, Gabriel stretched his arms, arching his back as he sat up. He had decided to take a quick nap on one of the benches scattered throughout the garden, but… by the looks of it, the nap lasted a bit longer than he had wanted it to. He made a face as he attempted to soothe his cramped muscles. Didn’t he have something to do? His mind was foggy. He wanted to rest up before he had to… had to… had to what?

“Ow ow ow… my back… geez, sleeping on stone isn’t as comfortable as people say it is…” Gabriel was attempting to stretch his legs when he remembered what he needed to do. He jumped up, fear painted on his face. He started running back to the palace, struggling to fabricate something that would please Michael--

“ _GABRIEL_!”

The shout echoed throughout the gardens, shaking Gabriel to his core. “ _Shit_ ,” he hissed, nearly tripping but managing to right himself before his face met the earth, “ _Shitshitshitshitshitshit Michael’s going to kill me shitshitshitshit_ \--”

He nearly collided with Michael as he burst through the garden doors. Gabriel had a second to register the look of pure fury of Michael’s face before he was being dragged down a hallway.

“Where _were_ you?” Michael growled, forcefully pulling Gabriel along behind him by his arm, “You were _supposed_ to meet me in the Weapons' Room _thirty minutes ago_.”

“Look, I’m very sorry that-- _ow_ \--I was just-- _Oh my God, ow_ \--I forgot-- _OW_!” Gabriel flinched as Michael dug his fingers into his younger brother’s arm, slightly twisting his arm as he viciously pulled him into the Weapons' Room. Someone within the dimly-lit room sighed as Michael and Gabriel entered the room.

“Why must you two treat each other so cruelly?”

“ _I_ didn’t do anything! It was _all_ Michael! He thinks he can just--”

“Shut up.” Michael released Gabriel’s arm, giving him a dark look. “When I tell you to meet me somewhere, I _expect_ that you at least _attempt_ to get there on time.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and muttered a retort under his breath. He crossed his arms, trying to avoid looking at Michael. “So, why _do_ you want us here?”

“You know why.”

“I forgot…” Gabriel murmured.

Michael snorted. “Of course you did.”

“Michael, please. Isn’t this important?”

Huffing, Michael brushed off his coat indignantly, looking down at his brothers. “It’s time for another evaluation. We-- _I_ need you two to visit each of our towns. Each and _every_ one. No exceptions. Check if all is well, take names of town lords, write reports if you must. Every town, every village, every _house_ must be accounted for. I believe those damn Winchesters are doing the same thing, so look out. Some of our towns must be very close to the border… watch out for anything dubious.”

“Why would they do anything suspicious?”

“You know _why_.”

“But surely they know it wasn’t _us_!”

Michael threw his hands into the air. “Well, I’ve tried to explain it to them! _They_ won’t believe me!”

Groaning, Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. “So… you want us to go and make sure none of our-- _your_ \--towns are destroyed? Is that it?”

Michael shook his head. “That’s not what I’m asking you to do.”

“It’s _basically_ what you’re saying.”

Michael opened his mouth to remind Gabriel who was king, but Gabriel put his hands up placatingly. “I got it. We’re gonna organize what we need, and then we’ll leave. We’ll go as soon as everything’s in order. Happy?”

Michael’s only response was cold stare.

“Come on, Castiel. Let’s go.” Gabriel waved a hand at Castiel and went to the door.

Castiel gave Michael a sad look before following Gabriel. As the door slammed shut behind them, Michael sighed and sat down on an empty barrel. He was tired.

  


As the small “evaluation” party left through Elysium’s massive front gates,  the sun began its descent through the sky. Although Castiel wanted to leave earlier, Gabriel insisted that they have a “small” bite to eat before they embarked on this “difficult” quest.

“So, bro, how many villages do you think we’ll see before it’s dark?”

“I’m not sure. Most of them are close, aren’t they?”

Gabriel shrugged, petting his horse distractedly. “I think the first one should be Eden, right?”

“I think so.”

The group consisted of Gabriel, Castiel, and five knights. They planned on spending each night in whatever town they were in when darkness fell. Despite the setbacks caused by Gabriel’s constant complaining and small jokes, they were well prepared for their task. The accompanying five knights were enough protection; Castiel had argued that he and Gabriel knew how to handle themselves, and both of them were renowned for their skills with the dagger. Choosing to fight either one of them was a brutal, and most likely, fatal mistake.

They rode in silence for a while, each taken with their own thoughts. The knights talked quietly to one another, gossiping about the kingdom’s prettiest ladies and recent events. For the most part, Gabriel and Castiel were excluded from conversation, mostly due to their statuses. Castiel didn’t like being cut off from his people just because he was part of the royal family. It was monotonous speaking and interacting with the same people for the majority of his life.

“Gabriel?”

“Hm? Yeah?”

“Do you think that the Winchesters would really do something suspicious?”

Gabriel opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He thought about this for a moment before turning to Castiel and giving him a small smile. “I dunno. I haven’t really met them. I know that the current king--Jake, or Josh, or something like that--has two sons. Aaaand… that’s basically all I know. I don’t think they would try to attack us or anything, if that’s what you mean. They seem like reasonable people. Michael probably doesn’t like them because he had to deal with everything they threw at him after… _he_ killed their previous king and queen.”

Castiel nodded. He wondered what the Winchesters were like… after all, he had only spoken to them a few times during the first searches for Lucifer, and he didn’t remember much about them. He thought that there was something--or someone--that stood out to him, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t remember. “Are we ever going to meet them again?”

“We should, I think. I thought I heard Michael saying something about a ‘summit’, or something, but who knows. It sounded pretty serious,” Gabriel grinned, but a second later he grimaced. “Could you imagine that? Next time we meet them, _all_ of us are going. I don’t want to deal with all of you guys! You’re all annoying!”

Gabriel playfully pushed Castiel, and he laughed.

As they made their way to Eden, Castiel enjoyed the beautiful scenery that surrounded him. Back at the palace, he was usually holed up somewhere, constantly working. Whenever he had the time, he would relax in the garden, but those times were few and far between. Castiel was always helping others out: he would help the servants with cleaning; he groomed and cared for the horses when he could; he taught the knights-in-training how to properly wield a dagger, and even worked on stance with them when dealing with longer blades; and he sometimes relieved Michael’s work load when the poor man was overwhelmed. So when Castiel got the chance to be outdoors, he savored every moment of it. Soon enough, the first buildings of Eden appeared. It was a small village, but that wasn’t important.

It was one of the most beautiful places in all of Elysium.

The huts were tiny and could barely house more than three people at a time. There was a small church in the center of the town, but despite being tiny, it was the largest building in the town. Most of the town was consumed with plants of varying species and colors. The thin rock paths that snaked throughout the village were lined with myriads of small, delicate flowers. Ivies and creepers crawled up every wall in the village. Because of the countless trees planted within Eden, the most stifling, hottest days were made bearable thanks to the shade. Streams of differing sizes twisted their ways between structures. Animals were a common sight in Eden, and they seemed content to coexist with the humans already there. Gardens accompanied every hut here, adding on to the already marvelous sights to be seen. Castiel was filled with a flooding sense of peace and serenity as his horse followed Gabriel’s into Eden.

“Ah, Prince Gabriel, Duke Castiel, how lovely it is to see you two here!” A man chirped, throwing his arms wide. “We are so glad to have you here in Eden.”

Gabriel smiled at the man and halted his horse. “Hello. We’re very sorry for not sending word ahead of time to tell you of our coming, but we’re here on King Michael’s orders.”

“No worries! Will you be staying the night?”

“Yes. Of course, if you will have us. We don’t want to intrude--”

The man waved Gabriel off. “Do not worry, Your Highness, we are glad to have you here! If you don’t mind me asking, what brings you here, of all places?”

Gabriel looked back at Castiel, who just nodded. He was busy taking in all of the town’s beauty.

“We’re checking on all of our towns to make sure all is well.”

The man’s smile seemed to grow wider. “Of course, of course. It’s wonderful to hear that! Here, come with me, I can show you around, and my friends here can take care of your horses…”

Gabriel, as well as three of his guards, hopped of their horses and followed the friendly man. A few villagers came forward and lead the horses away. Castiel and the remaining guards thanked them as they too left their horses in the hands of the people of Eden. Castiel breathed deeply, smiling as the pleasant aroma of Eden flooded him. It truly was a beautiful place, and, if Castiel were to be completely honest, he thought it was even prettier than the Palace Elysium and its grand garden. He was so absorbed in Eden’s beauty that he didn’t notice that a group of small children had approached him.

“Hey, Mister?”

Castiel was snapped from his reverie and turned to the children with a smile. “Why, hello there! I’m afraid I didn’t see you all there! Sorry!”

The two guards stood slightly behind him, both watching the children skeptically. Their duty was to defend the duke from everything and everyone: it didn’t matter what or who.

“Can I help you?”

The kids shuffled nervously, each one too intimidated to speak. Suddenly, a particularly tiny boy stepped forward and fixed Castiel’s warm gaze with his own. “Are you the king?”

Castiel laughed--it was a musical sound--and shook his head while grinning. “I’m afraid not. I am his younger cousin, though. I guess you could say that we look alike.”

The children tittered, and some grew brave enough to inch closer to Castiel. They huddled around him, eyes wide with admiration and curiosity. It was rare to see someone so well-dressed and regal-looking in their small village. He was also much taller than the majority of Eden’s inhabitants.

“What’s your name?” another child squeaked.

“I’m Castiel, and I’m--”

One guard decided that he had endured enough of the children’s adorable innocence and ignorance. “He’s the duke. That’s Duke Castiel to you--”

Castiel turned and glared at the guard. “It’s fine.” he said coldly. The guard knew better than to argue with him.

The children stood in silence, watching Castiel and the guard stare each other down. Shaking his head slightly, Castiel turned back to the expectant kids with a smile. He opened his mouth to apologize them, but a young girl spoke first.

“Why’re you here? I never seen _you_ before.”

“Prince Gabriel and I are visiting all of Elysium’s towns to make sure everyone is safe!”

The children jumped when they heard “prince”. They hopped in place, shouting to each other excitedly.

“Didja hear that?! A Prince! Woah!”

“Was he da other one? He’s smaller den you!”

“Wow! Are you guyses fam’ly? You don’t look da same!”

They continued to dance around Castiel, giggling and making dumb comparisons between he and Gabriel. If he were able to, Castiel would have stayed the whole day talking with the group of lively children. However, he knew that sooner or later Gabriel would return, and he would probably have to help him with organizing the rest of their trip.

“Hey!” One of the kids jumped forward, waving his arms wildly. “Duke? Mister Duke?”

“Hm? Yes?”

“Didja know? It's a good thing you’re here! Mama told me there was some mean ol’ guys goin’ around, and they were hurtin’ people! But you look strong! You’ll protect us, right?”

Castiel froze. He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

A lanky young girl, who Castiel guessed was slightly older than the others, stepped forward. She clamped a hand over the energetic boy’s mouth, pulling him close to her. “ Don' worry about him, Mister, he’s just sayin’ things! He don't know nothin’!”

“Is he telling the truth?” Castiel asked, and the girl looked away, scuffing the ground with one foot. “It’s really important if he is. Would you please tell me what he’s talking about?”

The group of youngsters watched the girl expectantly. She released the boy and wrung her hands together. She appeared to be struggling with whether or not to say anything, but then she looked up into Castiel’s piercing eyes and immediately made up her mind.

“Yeah, yeah he was, and Mama was sayin’ that Papa got hurt real bad by some guys, and he has to rest for a long long time, and she told us not to go outside when it gets dark because there’s some guys near here, and they’re doin’ bad things, she said, and she said they was goin’ ‘round and being real mean to some of the other places near here…” she paused for a second, waiting for Castiel to interrupt her as adults do, but he said nothing and gave her a reassuring nod. “And, and, and Papa said he needed to tell the King hisself, but he got hurt, and we dunno if it’s real important or not…”

Castiel gave the girl a small smile. He gently took her small hand in his and gave it a slight squeeze. “Thank you for telling me. In fact, I am forever grateful for that information. I’ll make sure to tell His Majesty, and we’ll make sure you’re all safe, and those bad guys will be taken care of.”

The girl smiled back at Castiel, and the children resumed their hopping and chirping. He got up and bowed to them, smiling as they danced around them. “I’m afraid I have to go now, but hopefully we’ll see each other again soon!”

The children waved to him as he gestured to the guards. “Bye-bye Duke!”

“Have a nice day, Mister!”

“See ya ‘round!”

The guards assumed their positions on either side of Castiel as he started walking away. He said nothing. There was no word of recent attacks in any of Elysium’s territories, but that meant nothing. If there was an attack, there wouldn’t be any survivors; the only remnants would be piles of ash. The bandits and robbers in these parts were brutal, and, when in a large group, they could do serious damage. Castiel needed to find Gabriel quickly and fill him in. If there really was a group of “bad guys” about, they needed to find out everything they could and deal with the situation before it grew out of hand.

Gabriel was walking back to where he left Castiel with Joshua, the friendly man, at his side. Joshua had shown him around, pointing out the largest trees, the prettiest flowers, and a number of gorgeous but basic fountains. He had also shown Gabriel and his guards his own house, which he invited them all to stay at for the night. Joshua’s house was notably larger than the majority of Eden’s households--it was second only to Eden’s church--and it had many rooms within it. While there, Gabriel thought he saw at least four guest rooms. It was pretty impressive. He almost ran into Castiel as he rounded a corner, and consequently Joshua and the three guards nearly knocked into Gabriel.

“Whoa there,” Gabriel stepped back, holding Castiel at arm’s length. “What’s up?”

Castiel wrung his hands together, his brows furrowed. His jaw was set grimly, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. “I need to speak to you.” He leaned closer to Gabriel. “ _It’s urgent_.”

  


The small, bruised family cowered in the corner of their home, begging for their lives. The rest of their town was mercilessly being demolished, with scattered bonfires flaring up every time another hut was ransacked. Children shrieked, tears streaming down their dirty faces; women wailed, sobbing over the corpses of their loved ones; and men lay motionless on the ravaged ground.

"Please don't do this!" the father pleaded, eyes wide with fear. "Please, Great One, spare my family!"

"Hmm..." Lucifer, now covered in vicious scars and welts, tapped his foot, looking thoughtfully at the pitiful people before him with a menacing smirk. "I'll have to think about this. _Your_ family? Why should I?"

"Please, don't hurt us!" the wife cried, holding her child close to her. "We'll do whatever you say! Spare us!”

" _Whatever_ I say? That's quite the deal." He grinned wickedly. "But, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. You see, I've got a whole army of commoners and slaves to do menial tasks for me, and I don't think I need the help of _peasants_ like you…”

“Please, Your Highness, don’t--”

“Whoa there, buddy, what did you just call me?” Narrowing his eyes, Lucifer took a step closer to the terrified family, drawing his grand, but infamously blood stained scimitar. “Honestly, I don’t think that title fits me… ‘Your Majesty’ sounds better, doesn’t it?”

“Your Majesty, of course, I meant no disresp--”

“Ah ah ah! Sorry, pal, you’ve tried my patience long enough! Don’t worry though…” The rogue prince’s grin grew, revealing inhuman, pointed fangs. “I’ll make your kid’s death quick. Might keep your wife, however. I’ve got a reputation to uphold!”

The scimitar glinted in the fading light as it cleaved through the air. The howls of the child echoed throughout the town, shaking other victims to the core. The sound was almost inhuman; it was the cries of life itself being mutilated.

The only thing to leave the cottage was a black snake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! School has been hell and gets in the way of finishing chapters. Also, we're going to try our best to update more frequently, but we can't make any promises. We hope you guys like the chapter!

Fortunately for Dean, the group had decided to rest. They huddled together beneath a rather large tree, enjoying the abundant shade tremendously. The second Dean’s horse had reached the shade, he jumped off it and threw himself down in the grass. John muttered something about Dean’s “image”, but his attention was quickly refocused on a knight and his report.

Sam was struggling with his new pet. Bones, despite being a huge animal, was skittish and easily spooked. Although he accepted Sam’s presence, he ran away when others came close. Dean rolled on to his back and watched Sam through half-closed eyes. 

“You don’t seriously think you’ll tame that mutt, right?”

Sam rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Dean’s comment. 

“He’ll probably run away once you fall asleep…”

Bones flinched slightly as Sam held out a hand to him, but he soon realized that the tall human meant him no harm. Bones wagged his thin, rope-like tail eagerly and licked Sam’s hand. Smiling, Sam gently pet the large dog’s  head. “I think he’s someone’s pet…” Sam said quietly, looking over Bones’s emaciated body. “But he must have run away or been chased away because he doesn’t look too healthy.”

Dean closed his eyes and snorted. “What’re you saying? Someone ran off a sick dog?”

“No. I think he’s been abused by his past owner, and I think Bones ran away before he was  _ killed _ , Dean.”

Dean didn’t say much more after that. Every once in awhile he would complain about the heat or the amount of time they were spending away from the castle’s comfortable kitchens.

While King John discussed with his knights the other towns they would go through, Sam was making good progress with his training. Bones was surprisingly friendly and obedient after he recognized Sam’s kindness. He was still shy and wary around everyone--excluding Sam, of course. Dean was drifting off to sleep on the ground; it was so peaceful, and no one or thing had been overly disturbing or loud. His horse grazed quietly beside him, tossing its head lazily.

  
  


When Dean woke up, it was noticeably darker, and some of the group were holding blazing torches. It took him a minute or so, but Dean had managed to pull himself upright. He rubbed his eyes groggily, trying to make sense of the darkened world around him. Standing up, he stretched his arms above his head, wincing as his bones protested the movement with a series of audible  _ cracks _ . In the flickering firelight he could make out the shapes of people and horses moving around him.

“Sam?” He yawned, propping himself up on his elbows and looking around with bleary eyes. As the world came into focus around him, he saw Sam sitting on the ground only a few feet away from him. 

“Fucking finally,” Sam rolled his eyes. “You’ve been out for hours.” 

"Shaddup," Dean grumbled, standing up. The world adjusted around him as he gained his balance, still clearing his head from the sleep-induced fog he was in. 

"'S going on?" Dean cast a weary look around.

Sam shrugged and looked away. “Oh, not too much, you know. The scouts have returned--”

“Anything new? Did they find something?”

Turning back, Sam gave Dean a tired but excellent bitchface. “Of course they did. They’re scouts. As I was saying, they’re back, and it appears that a town close to the border has been destroyed.”

Dean stared at Sam for a moment, mouth open, unable to say anything. His mind was still processing the information, and it was taking a little bit because his brain was still half-asleep.

“W-what…?!”

“You heard me. Town close to border. Gone. Nothing but ashes left.”

“Wait, wait, wait--” Dean held up his hands, brows drawn together, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Wait. Hold--hold on.” He put his fingers to his temples. “A  _ whole _ town has been… has been destroyed?  _ Completely _ ?”

Sam nodded slowly. “Apparently. Word is that barely anything is left. Of course, there’s, uh, bodies and all that strewn about, but everything that was flammable is gone.”

“Whose town is--was--it? Ours? Ours or--”

“The scouts said it was probably not ours. It’s burnt to the ground, so it was  difficult for them to tell whose it was exactly, but…” Sam waved a hand vaguely. “It was pretty far away from here. I’m sure our neighbors already know about it.”

Dean rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He didn’t want to think about incinerated towns; he had just woken up, for God’s sake! He groaned and sat back down. “Do you know what this means?”

Sam frowned and shook his head. “No. Please, enlighten me.”

Dean scowled. “Don’t you remember back a few years ago? With… with that Elysium guy? Lucifer, right? Isn’t this what he did? Burning things to the ground?”

Sam’s face was expressionless. He didn’t show any signs of fear or acknowledgement or confusion. His face remained blank.

“Sam--”

Without a single word Sam jumped up and briskly strode away, leaving Dean utterly bemused.

“Hey, wait, Sam--” Dean pulled himself once again to his feet, stumbling in the semi-darkness. 

A group of knights circled King John. They hastily moved out of the way as his youngest son appeared from the darkness, jaw grimly set and his hands clenched. He leaned close to his father and whispered something. The knights watched in worried apprehension as John’s face fell. He glanced between Sam and the men crowded around him before muttering something to the young prince. Sam nodded and left just as quickly as he came.

Dean met Sam as he carefully made his way out of the circle. He clapped a hand on Dean’s shoulder, eyes focussed on something in the distance.

“Dean.”

“Yeah? What’s going on?”

“You know how you mentioned Lucifer? I think you’re on to something. Last time--when something like this happened--a few years ago, we teamed up with Elysium, right? But we never actually caught Lucifer or resolved that whole incident. Maybe--maybe that’s all happening again. Maybe…”

“Your Majesty!” a voice shouted as it sprinted toward John on his horse, “Your Majesty!” When he got within a reasonable distance, he dismounted his horse and ran with weak legs to the towards the King until he fell on his knees in front of him.

Sam and Dean were able to faintly make out parts of the conversation.

“Sire, I bring news! Horrible, horrible news!”

“What is it?” John took a step closer to him.

The terrified messenger uttered words that neither of the brothers could hear from that distance.

“WHAT?!” The King erupted and drew his sword.

“Please! Please, Your Majesty! I’m simply the messenger!” he quaked with fear.

John raised his blade before stabbing the ground and collapsing. He leaned against the hilt of sword and broke into sobs.  
  


 

Gabriel pressed his fingers to his temples and sighed. He ran one hand through his hair. 

“Well? Should we send someone to inform Michael?”

Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The two stared at the desolate scene before them. One of their guards gingerly walked around, inspecting the piles of ash and charred remains of the town. The grotesque shapes of the citizens of the town could be seen littered across the blackened ground.

Their attention was caught by a small whimper a few meters to their right. Their guard in the field jumped back in terror. Castiel was the first to run in the direction of the noise, until he finally found the source coming from underneath a fallen roof.

“Gabriel!” Castiel called for his brother’s help in lifting a beam that was trapping what appeared to be two young girls, both covered from head to toe in what appeared to be a horrific mix of ash, blood, and dirt. One was still coughing and sputtering, yet the other didn’t seem so fortunate. Castiel could see her chest moving with her breath, but other than that, she didn’t seem to be conscious. The one that was awake flinched as Gabriel and Castiel pulled away another charred beam. She watched them unblinkingly, one eye wide and the other sealed shut by the dark, blood-and-ash mixture.

“Help…” she croaked, reaching a weak hand towards them with what strength she had left.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, we gotcha,” Gabriel soothed her, taking her hand for a moment before he and Castiel lifted the beam up off the two of them. Castiel managed to hold the beam up long enough for Gabriel to carry the two girls out one at a time. He laid them down on a patch of clear ground a few feet away. 

The unconscious one stirred weakly, twitching with pain. Castiel watched her for a moment before turning to the remaining girl. He slowly knelt in front of her. He extended a hand to her.

“Hello. My name is Castiel, Duke of Elysium. This is my cousin, Gabriel, prince of Elysium. What’s your name?”

The girl stared at him for a second. She remained silent, but she looked at her companion. She didn’t turn back to Castiel. 

“You’re not gonna hurt… hurt us… like the last ones… right?”

Gabriel shuffled behind Castiel, wringing his hands and looking nervously at the pair of victims. 

“Of course we’re not. We want to help you two. It’s… just you two, uh, right?”

“Probably. They killed everyone.  _ Every _ one. It’s… it’s… it’s a wonder that we’re alive. It’s all… all of it… gone.  _ Gone.  _ They burned everything.”

“Who? Do you know who did this?” Gabriel took a step closer to Castiel and the two girls. 

“There were so many of them… they were all screaming, and… and they took some of us. I remember… there was their leader, and he had… these lesser leaders, or something… and I heard one of the killers call one of them… the  _ one _ … the one who killed our families, who left us for dead…”

“Alistair. That’s…” the unconscious girl sat up suddenly, eyes wide, face covered in blood and bruises. She stared straight ahead, seemingly unaware of the three pairs of eyes watching her. “Alistair.  _ Alistair _ . That’s--that one.  _ The one. _ Under… under…  _ his…  _ orders.”

Castiel and Gabriel shared a horror-filled look. “ _ His _ ” could only mean one person. They were certain they knew who had burned the village to the ground.

 

 

Hours later, Castiel and Gabriel arrived in Elysium with the pair of girls. They brought them to the castle’s infirmary, and almost immediately servants rushed to their aid. Castiel placed a gentle hand on each of the girl’s shoulders. 

“They will take care of you here. Don’t worry, Gabriel and I will be back to check on you once we have spoken to King Michael. You are allowed to stay here in Castle Elysium until we can properly relocate you two.”

Castiel met Gabriel outside of the infirmary, and together the two of them ran to inform Michael. After consulting a passing servant about his whereabouts, they hurried to the castle gardens. 

Michael was facing the fountain that graced the center of the gardens. He had his back to them when they arrived, panting and gasping as they attempted to tell him what they discovered.

“We’re sorry we’re back so soon--”

“After Eden, we discovered another village close to the border--”

“It was completely destroyed, and we found two survivors, and we brought them back--”

“We think Lucifer has returned.”

Michael remained silent. He didn’t move nor speak. Castiel glanced nervously at Gabriel, but did not dare to say anything.

“Brother… what should we do?”

Michael straightened his shoulders and slowly turned his head to look at them. His face was unreadable.

“Queen Mary of Winchester has been murdered.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I (theblackshrimp) wrote a poem for this chapter, and it was on our document, and it's terrible and you should all check it out it's called Badda Bing Badda Boom and I'm sorry

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Badda Bing Badda Boom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5596264) by [theblackshrimp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackshrimp/pseuds/theblackshrimp)




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